Up and Coming - Ó Ghlúin go Glúin - Oisín & Conal Hernon

Is as Árainn don bheirt cheoltóirí óga seo, deartháireacha nach bhfuil ach sé bliana déag agus trí bliana déag d'aois ach gur léir óna gcuid ceoil go bhfuil saibhreas agus tuiscint thar na bearta acu ar a gceird.  Is leis an bhfeadóg stáin a thosaíodar beirt amach ach níor mhoilligh siad rófhada leis sin nó gur thosaigh Oisín ar an gcnaipchairdín in aois a sé bliana, agus gur thosaigh Conal ar an mbainseó agus é naoi mbliana d'aois.  Is liosta le háireamh na boinn, duaiseanna agus Craobhanna na hÉireann atá buaite acu faoi seo, agus ceol seinnte acu ar ardáin ó cheann ceann na tíre, ceolchoirm d'airí agus d'uaisle an Aontais Eorpaigh i 2004 san áireamh, tráth a raibh uachtaránacht an Aontais ag Éirinn.  Ní ón ngaoth a fuair siad é ach oiread, mar is ceoltóir agus amhránaí den scoth í a máthair, Marion, a bhfuil Craobh na hÉireann ar an gcnaipchairdín buaite aici, chomh maith le duaiseanna d'amhránaíocht i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge.  Is ceoltóirí iad muintir Mharion chomh maith, go deimhin: as Sráid na Cathrach i gCo. an Chláir dá máthair, baile atá luaite go mór leis an gceol traidisiúnta, agus is ceoltóir bosca é a hathair a thaistil ar fud na tíre lena bhanna ceoil, The Inky Craven Dance Band.  Tá seacht gcinn dhéag de Chraobhanna na hÉireann buaite ag an teaghlach seo le trí ghlúin anuas, agus tá na trí ghlúin sin le cloisteáil ag seinm ar Up and Coming - Ó Ghlúin go Glúin.

Ar na foinn ar an albam tá dhá phort a chum Conal, ‘Port na Rinne Móire' ainmnithe as baile a sheantuismitheoirí i gcathair na Gaillimhe, agus ‘Ansacht Philomena' ainmnithe as a sheanmháthair.  Tá amhrán lena mháthair Marion, ‘Sean-Phádraic', chomh maith le leagan uirlise d'amhrán nach mbeifeá ag súil lena chloisteáil ar albam de cheol traidisiúnta, b'fhéidir: ‘The Way I Are' le Timbaland!

Brothers Oisín and Conal Hernon are two young musicians from the Aran Islands who, although just sixteen and thirteen years of age respectively, display the musical ability and skills of musicians twice their age.  They began playing music when they were very young, both starting out on tin whistle, with Oisín moving to button-accordion at the tender age of six and Conal taking up banjo at the age of nine.  It wasn't long before they began playing in competitions and they have amassed a long list of prizes over the years, including All-Ireland titles on button-accordion and banjo.  They have performed music on many stages, with one of the highlights being a performance for visiting EU ministers and dignitaries during Ireland's hosting of the EU Presidency in 2004.  The brothers' musical talents come as little surprise because their mother, Marion, is also an accomplished musician who has won the All-Ireland title for button-accordion, as well as prizes for singing in English and Irish.  Her own parents are also musical - her mother is from Milltown Malbay in west Clare, a town renowned for traditional music, and her father is an accomplished box player who toured Ireland with his band, The Inky Craven Dance Band.  This exceptional family can boast seventeen All-Ireland titles between them, spread over three generations, and all three generations can be heard playing on Up and Coming - Ó Ghlúin go Glúin.

The tunes on the album include two of Conal's own compositions - ‘The Renmore Jig', named after the place where his grandparents live, and ‘Philomena's Fancy', named after his grandmother as well as a song by Marion, ‘Sean-Phádraic'.  The brothers turn their music skills to a different genre of music for the final track, an instrumental version of ‘The Way I Are' by Timbaland!